Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks stands on the sidelines prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Lumen Field on September 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks stands on the sidelines prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Lumen Field on September 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will miss at least one upcoming game after suffering a hip injury during the season opener
Darnold was injured on the team’s opening possession
Backup quarterback Drew Lock led the team to a 13-10 win over the Patriots
Sam Darnold spent a “painful” night in the hospital after injuring his right hip during the NFL season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 9, but his coach Mike Macdonald said the quarterback is on the mend.
“The hip is intact and it’s good,” Macdonald said Thursday on his Seattle Sports 710 AM radio show. “It’s more of a muscle thing. So that’s good news.”
However, the signal-caller will not play on Sept. 20 against the Arizona Cardinals, sources told ESPN and the NFL Network.
Darnold, 29, was injured on the opening possession of the game against the New England Patriots.
The Super Bowl champ hit the medical tent after the play and had an MRI on Thursday morning.
Tests indicated that the injury was not extensive, which Macdonald called “really, really good news.”
Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half of the NFL football game at Lumen Field on September 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half of the NFL football game at Lumen Field on September 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
“So we’re really happy for Sam,” he said.
Backup Drew Lock — who only attempted three passes over five games last year — was inserted in Darnold’s place and led the team to a come-from-behind win, 13-10.
It was also a tough night for another signal-caller, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
The third-year quarterback, 24, threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter.
“I thought we had the game under control,” Maye, who finished 23 of 33 for 178 yards and one touchdown, told reporters after the game.
He added, “I thought we had a good plan to try to start chipping away and be patient. Lost patience and it cost us — decisions that cost us the game on my part, on my end. I vow to myself to be better and realize it’s a long season. But at the same time, you can’t have those. It’s unacceptable.”